Mary G. Roebling’s ground-breaking efforts paved the path for millions of other women in banking.
Roebling was born Mary Gindhart on July 29, 1905, in Collingswood, New Jersey. Her family was well off, and she lived in a Victorian mansion called Hemlock Hall. As a child, she earned pocket money by selling strawberries for a penny a box.
She married the grandson of famous bridge builder Washington Roebling. However, a stroke claimed her husband in 1936. His death opened up a seat on the board of the Trenton Trust Bank, one of the leading banks in the tri-state region. At that time, the idea of a woman operating in the predominantly boy’s club of banking was far-fetched, but the board knew what they were doing: Mary had a keen business mind and was a tireless worker. When she became president of Trenton Trust in 1937 at the age of 30, she was the first woman to head a major American bank.
At the time, Trenton Trust was $4 million in debt and struggling to survive. With characteristic zeal, she threw herself into the business. Customers who started a new account received a free toy bank, the bank handed out Shamrocks on St. Patrick’s Day, held luncheons at the bank, where she explained concepts like investing, and selling the brand new idea of credit cards. Perhaps her biggest innovation, however, was the walk-up window. By 1951, Trenton Trust held assets reaching $70 million.
Roebling’s list of “firsts” included: First woman governor on the American Stock Exchange; founder of the first female-owned bank, the Woman’s Bank of Denver, in 1978; and, first woman member of the exclusive Union League Club in Philadelphia.
Roebling died on October 27, 1994. Till the end of her life, she remained a fierce advocate of women’s equality.